Banjo History with a Kentucky focus

Artist, collector, and instructor Pete Ross will display his infamous gourd banjos, with a live demonstration workshop. Join him in the Appalshop Theater for a presentation that focusses on one area of banjo history specific to Kentucky. We will discuss images of kids with gourd banjos taken at local settlement schools, ca. 1930, then talk about published plans for gourd fiddle and banjo made by a Kentuckian in the early 20th century. From there we move to banjo related composition, including a very early banjo image on the sheet music cover, made by a composer living in KY in the early 19th century. The workshop will finish with a discussion on surviving instruments that resemble all of the above.